Wireless encoder apparatus and methods

• US 8,314,746 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Nikitin, Pavel, Kodukula, Venkata
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Jacob Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCain, Kyana R
• Application Number:
  US12/411,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572, 235/375, 235/487, 235/492, 343/841
• US Class Current: 343/841
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal

Abstract

A wireless encoder for encoding a plurality of wireless communication devices carried by media comprises a shielded enclosure having an exterior surface defining an aperture; a wireless signal generator to excite the shielded enclosure; and a media path along which media carrying a plurality of wireless communication devices travels. The media path passes across the aperture outside the shielded enclosure.

Claims

1. A wireless encoder for encoding a plurality of wireless communication devices carried by media, comprising:

a shielded enclosure having an exterior surface defining an aperture;

a first wireless signal generator configured to excite the shielded enclosure;

a media path along which the media carrying the plurality of wireless communication devices travels, the media path passing at least proximate the aperture of the shielded enclosure; and

a second wireless signal generator configured to excite the shielded enclosure.

2. The wireless encoder of claim 1, wherein a width of the aperture is less than two times a separation distance between adjacent wireless communication devices carried by the media.

3. The wireless encoder of claim 1, wherein the media path is defined at least in part by a plurality of rollers for mounting rolls holding the media.

4. A wireless encoder for encoding a plurality of wireless communication devices carried by media, comprising:

a shielded enclosure having an exterior surface defining an aperture;

a wireless signal generator configured to excite the shielded enclosure, wherein the exterior surface of the shielded enclosure defines a second aperture, and further comprising at least two antennas coupled to the wireless signal generator, the at least two antennas located at least partially within the shielded enclosure and configured to excite the shielded enclosure substantially simultaneously; and

a media path along which the media carrying the plurality of wireless communication devices travels, the media path passing through the shielded enclosure via the first aperture and the second aperture.

5. The wireless encoder of claim 4, wherein one of the at least two antennas is located proximate the aperture, and another of the at least two antennas is located proximate the second aperture.

6. The wireless encoder of claim 4, further comprising a wave conductor coupled between at least two walls of the shielded enclosure, the wave conductor located within the shielded enclosure.

7. The wireless encoder of claim 6, further comprising an antenna coupled to the wireless signal generator, the antenna located at least partially within the shielded enclosure and configured to excite the shielded enclosure.

8. The wireless encoder of claim 7, wherein the antenna is coupled to the wave conductor.

9. The wireless encoder of claim 6, wherein the wave conductor enables a transversal electromagnetic wave to be generated within the shielded enclosure.

10. The wireless encoder of claim 6, wherein the wave conductor has a substantially zig-zag shape.

11. The wireless encoder of claim 4, wherein the exterior surface of the shielded enclosure defines a plurality of apertures having different shapes.

12. The wireless encoder of claim 11, wherein the plurality of apertures have different orientations with respect to the media path.

13. The wireless encoder of 4, wherein a position of the shielded enclosure relative to the media path is adjustable.

14. The wireless encoder of claim 13, wherein an orientation of the shielded enclosure relative to the media path is adjustable.

15. A wireless encoder for encoding a plurality of wireless communication devices carried by media, comprising:

a first shielded enclosure having a first exterior surface defining a first aperture;

a second shielded enclosure having a second exterior surface defining a second aperture, the second shielded enclosure having a different geometry than the first shielded enclosure;

a media path along which the media carrying the plurality of wireless communication devices travels, the media path passing at least proximate the first aperture and the second aperture outside the first shielded enclosure and the second shielded enclosure; and

a wireless signal generator configured to excite the first shielded enclosure and the second shielded enclosure.

16. The wireless encoder of claim 15, wherein the first shielded enclosure is configured to resonate at a first frequency, and the second shielded enclosure is configured to resonate at a second frequency different than the first frequency.

17. A wireless encoder for encoding a plurality of wireless communication devices carried by media, comprising:

a shielded enclosure having an exterior surface defining at least two apertures;

at least one detuning flange extending externally to the shielded enclosure near at least one of the at least two apertures;

a wireless signal generator configured to excite the shielded enclosure; and

a media path along which the media carrying the plurality of wireless communication devices travels, the media path passing adjacent the at least one detuning flange and through the shielded enclosure via the at least two apertures.

18. The wireless encoder of claim 17, wherein the shielded enclosure is at least partially filled with a dielectric material having a dielectric constant greater than that of air.

19. The wireless encoder of claim 17, wherein the at least one detuning flange is configured to detune nearby wireless communication devices.

20. The wireless encoder of claim 17, which includes at least four detuning flanges, each of the at least four detuning flanges extending externally to the shielded enclosure near at least one of the at least two apertures, and the media path passes adjacent to each of the at least four detuning flanges.

21. A wireless encoder for encoding a plurality of wireless communication devices carried by media, comprising:

a shielded enclosure having an exterior surface defining at least two apertures, the shielded enclosure at least partially filled with a dielectric material;

a wireless signal generator configured to excite the shielded enclosure; and

a media path along which the media carrying the plurality of wireless communication devices travels, the media path passing through the shielded enclosure via the at least two apertures.

22. A method of encoding a plurality of wireless communication devices carried by media, the method comprising:

generating a first wireless signal with a first wireless signal generator;

exciting a shielded enclosure having an exterior surface defining an aperture with the first wireless signal;

generating a second wireless signal with a second wireless signal generator;

exciting the shielded enclosure with the second wireless signal; and

moving the media carrying the plurality of wireless communication devices along a media path, the media path passing at least proximate the aperture of the shielded enclosure.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

encoding a plurality of wireless communication devices by passing the plurality of wireless communication devices across the aperture outside the shielded enclosure.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

detuning at least one of the plurality of wireless communication devices while another of the plurality of wireless communication devices is encoded.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

adjusting a width of the aperture based at least in part on dimensions of the plurality of wireless communication devices.